Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-11-18

/ opened NV eyes 10 see what SIG was do-
ing and found that her own were within
three inches OF them, and shining glorious
ly like stars.
fancy, IL Nyleptha had come round the
corner. what times there woIld have been!
I hope YOU said finland me, madam as
they do 10 the plays"
mo, didn't" answered the wretched
Curtis with a groau. Don't laugh ut me,
I was thrown quite off my balance, and so
would any man have been who was sud-
denly put at the mercy of such an imperi-
ally lovely creature. | don't know what L
did and don't know how hong IT lasted;
but luckily one of the centres outside the
door let fall his spear. and the rattle of the
steel against the pavement brought ME to
my senses, and | freed myself FROM her
and got on To my legs again, and reason
and recollection came back 10 me.
..'Oh. ; rails said, pray do not do that
sort OF thing, -y2u zee hid iiG1 time 10
pick and choose my words, -'iitc-tuse you
are putting us both in an awkward posi-
ton am going 10 marry your sister Ny
lepLha, Sor;i :. .tiH love her.
Next moment it struck me that | had
said An awful Thing, ani looked up 10 see
the results. Wi9eI spoke, Soiais lace
was hidt.eu in the cushions, and as my
words reached her she slowly raised it. and
I shrank back dismayed. It was aShy
white. and her eyes were flaming. she
got on to her feet and seemed To be chok-
ing: but the awful thing was that she was
so quiet about II all. Once she looked NJ
side-tabIe. ON which lay a dagger, and from
il to me. as though she thought OF killing
me: but she dill not take It up. At last
she spoke one word, and one only;
"'GOp
"And went, and glad enough | was to
get ont Of il; and here | am. Now tell me,
what is TO be duue?"
Lob It,4nI fn.. tho affair IN
deed serious. AS one Of the posts says,
Hell has no fury Hike a woman scorned.
especially II the woman is y queen and a
Sorais: and indeed feared the very worst,
including imminent dancer 70 ourselves.
"Nvleptha must be told of all this at
once" said, "and perhaps | had better
tell her: she might receive your account
with suspicion"
"Who is captain % her guard tonight"
Good"
"Vcry well. then, there Will be no chance
Of her being got ut. Don't look surprised
don't think that her sweet sister would
stick ut that. ! suppose one must tell Good
Of what has happened"
cob, don't know" said Sir Henry. ut
would hart his feelings, poor fellow! 1ou
see. he takes lively personal interest in
S0rais"
That's true: and. after I'll, perhaDs there
Is 80 need Ia tell him: Ite will find ont
the truth Coon enough. Now, you mark
NV words Snrais will throw in her lot
with Nasta. who Is Suiking up in the north
there, and there Will Ee such Il war ~ has
NOT been seen in Xu-NendiS for centuries
Look therel" and | pointed tn two Court
messengers. who were speeding away from
tn" door of Sorais' private apartments
Now follow me:' aud | ran up n stairway
into an outlook tower That rose from the
roof of our quarters. taking the spygl@ss
with me- and looked out over the palace
wall The first thing we saw was one of
the npSsrng gers speeding towards the lem
ME. hearing without any doubt, the
Queens word TO the High Priest AEON; but
for the other | searched In vain. Present
Is. however, | sped a hOrseman riding
furiOUSly through the northern gate of the
cl:y, and in him | recognized the other
mes.cn ger.
"Ahn'I said, "Sorais Is woman Of spirit
She is acting Mt once. and will strike quick
and hlr'l You have insuited her. my boy
and the blood will flow in rivers before the
stain is washed away, and yours with If.
if she con get hold Of you. Wen, I'm Oft
~ Nyieptaa. just you stop where you are,
old, fellow, and try to get your nerves
straigL.t again. Y9G,E need them all, l
can tell you, unle.s have observed human
nature in the rough for fifty years for moth
ing And eff | went accordingly.
I gained audience OF the Qucen without
trouble. She was expecting Curtis, and
was lot best pleased to see my mahogany
culOrad face instead.
as there aught wrong with my lord, Ma
CumAZahn, that he waits not upon me?
Say, is he sick?'
said that he was well enough. and then,
without further ado, | plunged into my
story and told il from beginning to end.
Oh. what n rage she flew intol 1t was n
sight to see her, she looked so lovely.
"HOw darcst thou come to me Win such
n tale?" she cried. at is a lie to say that
my lord was making love to Sorais, my
sister"
Pardon me, o Queen" answered, 81
said that Sorais was making love TO your
lord"
spin me no SPIDERS web of words. Is
not the thing tho same thing? The one
giveth, the other talI.th; but the gift passes,
and what matters it which is the most
guilty? Sorais! oh. how hate her! Sorais
is queen and my sister. She had not
Oh, truly hath the poet said that man is
like n snake, whom To touch is poison, and
whom none can hold"
The remark. O Queen, Is excellent; but
mcthinks thou hast misread the poet
Surely in talking of snakes he alluded to
thine own sex" | sail this because | was
put out aud wanted TO be nasty. "Nylcp-
tina" | went on, thou kuowest well that
thy words are empty foOliShncSs."
GLOW darest thOu2' she broke in stamp
ing her foot. Has my false lord sent thee
to me to insult me also? Who art thou
stranger, that thou shOuldSt speak to me,
the Queen, after this sort2 How darest
thOuf'
Yea | dare. Listen! The moments
thou dost waste in idle anger may well
cost thee thy crown, and all of us our lives.
Already SOratS' hOrScmru 20 forth and
call To arms. In three days time NisSta
will rouse himself in his Businesses like n
lion in the evening, and his crawling will
he heard Throughout the North. The
Lady of the Ni1ht' (Soras) hath a sweet
voice, and she will not SIM in vain. Her
banner Will be borne from range 10 range
and valley To valley, and warriors will
spring up in its track like dust beneath a
whirlwind; half the army will echo her
war-Cry, and la every town and hamlet OF
this wide land the priests viii call out
against the ,,,tEncr, and viii preach her
c.lusc as holy. | have Spo&ru. O Queen"
Nyleptna was quite calm now; her J5ak
Gus anger had passed; and putting Off the
Character OF n lovely, heahstrong lady, she,
with n rapidity and entirety that distin
gnishcd her. put on that of queen and
woman Of business. The transformation
was sudden but complete
Thy words are very wise, MaCumaZuhn.
Forgive me my folly. Al, what n Queen
! should be IL only had no heartl To be
heartlcss-that is to conquer all. Passion
IS like the lightning: it is beautiful, and it
links the earth 10 heaven; but alas, it
blindsl
And thou thinkest that my sister Sorais
wOuld levy war upon mcS 50 he II. She
shall not prevail against me. |, too. have
my friends and my rctaiuerS. There are
many, | say, who will shout 'Nyleptha,'
when my prnnon runs up on peak and
pinnacle, and the light of my watch-fires
leaps tonight from craC to crag. bearing
the message of my war. will break her
strength and scatter her armies. Eternal
night shall be the portion of the Lady of
the Night Give me that parchment and
the ink. So Now summon me the officer
In the anteroom. He is a trusty man"
did rs | was bid; and the man, vet
eran and quiet-looking gentleman of the
guard. named Kara, entered, bowling low.
Take this parchment said Nyleptha,
''it is thy warrant; and guard every place
OF in and outgoing in the apartments of
my sister SoraiS. Lady Of the Night and
a Queen Of the Zu-Nendi. Let none come
in and none go out, or thy fife shall pay
the cost"
The man looked startled, but he merely
said, The Queens word shall be done"
and departed. Then Nvleptha sent mes
senGer to Sir Henry, and presently he ar
rived, looking uncommonly uncomforta-
BILE. [ thought that another outburst was
about to follow, but wonderful are the
ways of women; she said not a word about
SoraiS and his supposed Inconsistency,
greeting him with a friendly nod. and stat
ing simply that she required his advice up
on high matters. Ali the same there was
look in her eye. and n sort of suppressed
energy in hR manner towards him, that
makes me think she had not forgotten the
affair, but was keeping it for a private &C.
casiou.